1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to archery equipment and more particularly relates to archery bowstring devices of an improved type.
2. Prior Art
Mechanical archery bowstring release devices are becoming increasingly popular because they facilitate accurate shooting more easily and more rapidly than do older, more traditional forms of bowstring equipment, including finger tabs, gloves and stalls. Most of the mechanical release devices employed heretofore feature single point contact with the bowstring. A typical one of such single point contact devices comprises a hook which engages the bowstring and is drawn with the fingers of one hand. It is then turned or rotated when the bowstring is at full draw in order to allow the bowstring to slip around the end of the hook. One disadvantage which may occur with this type of release is a tendency to misalign the bowstring relative to the vertical centerline of the bow. Moreover, it is somewhat difficult to precisely duplicate the hand-head-string and bow limb-alignment from shot to shot at the moment of release of the bowstring from such a device. When the bowstring is forced out of center alignment at the moment of release from such a device it describes a serpentine path as it moves forward, transferring propulsive force to the arrow shaft at an angle from the longitudinal axis of the shaft, causing the shaft to bend in much the same fashion as but to a lesser extent than in the case where the bowstring is released from finger tabs, stalls or gloves.
In order to overcome the deficiencies of both the tab, glove and stall type of release and single point contact mechanical releases, certain mechanical devices have been constructed to include loops of, for example, rope or cord around the bowstring. At the moment of release of the string from such a device, one end of the cord is released so that the cord is shoved out of the way by the bowstring. This has the beneficial tendency of dampening bowstring vibrations with some decrease in bowstring energy but still does not always provide optimally smooth, uniform bowstring release in a straight line forward.
The most efficient type of mechanical release thus far devised is the so-called clamp or caliper type, for example, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,041,926. With this type of device, the bowstring is clamped and held between a pair of opposable jaws which, upon the moment of release, are forced apart suddenly to release the bowstring straight forward towards the target. Such a device is much easier to use than previous devices and usually has a positive locking mechanism which assures that the bowstring during drawing by the archer will not be inadvertently released. Such a device may include, however, a considerable number of precisely machined parts, some of which are easily worn, such as springs, rollers, etc. Moreover, such devices are usually of complicated design and of relatively high cost to produce.
It therefore would be desirable to provide an improved bowstring release device which would have all of the features of conventional clamp release devices, including bowstring release directly forward without string drag or torque and a positive locking mechanism, but which would also be of simpler, more durable, less expensive construction. Preferably, such device would not employ any mechanism such as a spring or the like which could change performance or wear out easily. The device should also be capable of being utilized in a plurality of shooting modes to suit the individual shooting style of the archer.